Revolving furniture



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. W D SNYDER REVOLVING FURNITURE.

Patented Sept. 10,1895.

E. .l i

(No Modl.) 3 sheets-sheet 2. W. D. SNYDER. REVOLVING FURNITURE.

Patented Sept. 10,1895.

(N Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 3.

W. D. s-NYDBR.

RBVOLVING FURNITURE.

150,545,985. P5551155dsep5.10,1895.

www l l l WIN V Wzwwf WILLIAM D. sNYDnR, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REvoLviNc FURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Nom 545,985, dated September 10, 1895,

Application tiled January 21, 1895. Serial N0, 535,672. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. SNYDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinoishaveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Revolving Furniture; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of'furniture in which two articles, such as a folding bed and a wardrobe, are combined in one and so mounted upon a stationary base that they may be turned thereon, the base remaining in close proximity to the Wall of the room.

The object of the invention is to secure an improved pivotal connection between the superstructure and the base and improved means for advancing an extensible portion of the base, Whose function is to support the article of furniture as it turns.

The invention consists of a novel arrangement of pivot and guide pins and of ways and cams therefor and of a slide-block carrying the central pivot-pin and so constructed as to push forward the extensible member as it is advanced bythe initial movement of the article of furniture in turning.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the base, the movable parts being shown in two different positions by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a'third position. Figs. 3, 4, 5, ando are sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines 3 3, 4 4, 5 5, and 6 6 ofFig. 1. f Figs. 7 and 8 are details.

The base isbuilt up of a lower plate 1, ob-

long-rectangular in form, and whose area is approximately the saine as the area of the bottom of the combined article of furniture with which the base is intended to be used, a band 2, attached to the ends and one side, which I call the front of the plate, and extending above the same a short distance, a rail 2, attached to the rearward side of the plate and being of the same height as the band 2, and lagging-strips 3, secured to the upper side of the plate and adjacent to its edges, their thickness beingless than the height of the bands 2.

Rails 4 4, Whose length is approximately one-fourth that of the entire base, are mounted upon the strip 3 which is adjacent to the rearward side of the plate 1 and extend from op posite ends of the base parallel to anda little removed from the rail 2t, so as to form therewith the grooves or guideways 4a 4b. The tops of the rails 4 4 are flush with the tops of the end bands 2 2. Cam-blocks 5@ are mounted upon the lagging-strips 3 8, one at each end of the base, a little removed from its front side, the outer edges of these blocks being curved so as to recede from front to rear, the outer corner being rounded. The front of the base is centrally recessed to receive a block 6, having upon its face a band 6a, which is of the same form as the band 2 and serves as a continuation thereof across the recess. Parallel bars 7 7 are rigidly secured to the block 6, perpendicular thereto, and lie across the base. These bars are adapted to slide upon the strip 3 at the front of the base. Their inner ends are supported by blocks 8 8, which slide upon the plate 1 and serve as stops to limit the forward movement of the bar 6 by contact with thestrip 3. The bars 7 7 slide between guides 9 10, secured to the plate 1, and the guides 9 9 'form a way, within which slides a4 block 11, which rests upon a rail 3a, lying centrally across the plate 1, of the same height and uniting the strips 3 3 at the front and rear of the base. The length of the block 11 is such that when it is at the inner limit of its travel, itsforward end is a `short distance, preferably about two inches, from the face of the block 6. The block llis provided at its rearward end with lateral Iianges 11a 11, projecting under the guide-bars 9 9, which are recessed for their reception. A pivot pin projects upwardly from the block 11 and is so located that when the block is at the limit of its inner movement the pin isat the center of the base. A multiple number of inverted casters 13 is secured to the `upper surfaeeof Athe base, so that their wheels are of uniform height, and the casters arevarranged approximately in a circle around the center of the base. A similar pair of casters 13a is mounted upon the block 6 near its end, but are preferably a little lower than the ICO casters 13, for reasons hereinafter explained. A platform 14, of a little less area than the base, is mounted upon the latter, normally resting upon and carried by the casters 13 and having a central socket for the engagement of the pin 12. At one end of the platform 14 and near its corners are located two downwardly-projecting guide-pins 15 15a, preferably carrying antifrictionrollers and being of such length as to engage the cams 5 5 and rails 2 and 4 4 and run in the ways 4 4b. The disposition of the parts is such that when the platform is in its normal position one of the guide-pins is within one of the ways 4 or 4b and the other pin is forward of the cam-block 5 or 5 at the same end of the base. l

The article of furniture (not shown) is placed upon the platform 14, and may be turned upon the base by swinging forward the end opposite to that at which the guidepins 15 15a are located, the pin within the guideway, as 4b, serving as a pivot, and the block 11 being carried forwardly, and as it abuts against the block 6 carrying the latter with it until the stop-blocks 8 S come into contact with the front strip 3. The article now rotates upon the pin 12 as a pivot until the pin 15a comes into contact with the cam 5, this pin new serving as apivot and causing the block 1l to recede and guiding the pin 15 into the way 4, the pin 15 in the meantime moving along the edge of the cam 5. During the latter part of the movement the pin 15 serves as a pivot, the pin l5 being carried around to the front of the cam 5 to the position relatively shown in Fig. 1. The block 6 is now returned to its normal position by hand. The next movement of the article will of course be in the opposite direction, the action being exactly the same as above described, the rotation of the parts being reversed. As the article turns, its outer end is supported by the casters 13a, which, however, do not receive it until the block 6 is well advanced, their height being slightly less than that of the casters 13, the article tilting a little when a portion of its movement has been accomplished. By this arrangement the extensible portion of the base bears no weight as it is advanced. The bars 9 9 terminate a suiicient distance from the rail 2a to leave a passage-way for the pins 15 15a. The block 11 is of ample length to provide for its easy movement in its way. It is shortened at its :forward end, so as to allow some advance movement before it begins to push the block 6, for the reason that itis not desirable to throw this block farther forward than is necessary. It will be seen that the block 6 may, if desired, be drawn forward by hand. The platform 14 is preferably of wood, and its lower surface may be armed with metal, as indicated at 14. This construction is so obvious that I have not deemed it necessary to show a plan view of this metal shoe.

A decided advantage is gained by the use of two guide-pins and of the cams 5 5, as shown. It will be seen that any movement, longitudinal as to the base, of the pin which serves as the pivot for the article during the recession of the central pin is accomplished by the lateral bearing of the latter pin or its supporting-block in its way.

Differently stated, it is important that the point of rotation during the recession of the central pivot-pin be as far removed as possible from the path of that pin,so that its path will vary to the least possible extent from the arc it would follow were the point of rotation fixed. It is important, therefore, that the longitudinal movement of the pivotal guide-pin be reduced. tothe minimum-that is, that the point in the platform which becomes the center of its rotation shall have reached as nearly as possible the limit of its movement toward the end 0f the base. This point is found to be the corner which before the movement has been at the rear, and which comes to the front by swinging over the base. By the use, therefore, of two pins located near the two corners at one end of the platform and of the cams near the front corners of the base this advantage is secured, it being necessary to shape the cams so that they change the course of the pin but very little from the arc it has followed while the platform turned about the central pivot in its advanced position. During the latter part of the recession of the central pin the rotation is transferred to the pin in the way at the rear of the base, but not until it has been well advanced in its longitudinal movement, so that the line of movement of the central pin varies but little from the arc it would follow were the guide-pin stationary. In practice the base will usually be mounted upon casters.

The form of the cams 5 5a may be varied so as to make their contact-faces more abrupt without departing from the scope of this invention; but one important feature in articles of this kind is smoothness of action by the avoidance of abrupt contact of a rapidly-ineving with a xed part. This is secured by the construction described, as the approach of the guide-pins to either the rail 2qu or the cams 5 5n is so indirect that the contact is not observable. While the impact of the block 11 upon the block 6 is direct, it occurs while the movement is so slow that objectionable jarring does not result.

The advantage gained by limiting the forward movement of the supporting-block 6 to a less distance than the travel of the pin 12 is that it is in service for a'longer portion of the rotation than were it more advanced, and consequentlyits length maybe increased with advantage, so as to increase the bearing area. Furthermore, by delaying the forward movement of the supporting-block until the rotation of the article is well under way it is earlier covered by the platform and may support the article during a portion of its forward movement. This is made plain by the use of dotted IOS ' in the opposite direction to that shown.

I claim as my inventiond l. The combination with an oblong base, of a platform supported by the base and having a central pivotal connection therewith, the pivot pin being capable of transverse movement as to the base, of a guide pin projecting downwardly from each of the corners at one end of the platform, and ways and cams on the base for engaging such pins, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with an oblong base, of a platform supported by the base and having central pivotal connection therewith, the pivot pin being capable of transverse movement as to the base, of a guide way extending from each end of the base along its rearward side and terminating before reaching the middle thereof, a cam located near each of the front corners of the base and havingits face toward the end of the base inclined inwardly from front to rear, a guide pin projecting down` wardly from each of the corners at one end of the platform and being constructed and arranged to engage the ways and cams, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with an oblong base having guide Ways 4, 4b, extending from `its ends along its rearward side and terminating before reaching the middle thereof, and cam blocks 5, 5, located near its front corners and having their faces adjacent to the ends of the base inclined inwardly from front to rear, and a transverse way along its median line, of a block 1l, adapted to run in such transverse way, a platform supported by the base and having central pivotal attachment to the block 11, guide pins 15, 15a, fixed in the corners at one end of the platform and projecting downwardly and being arranged to engage the ways 4a, Lt, and the cams 5, 5, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

4t. The combination with an oblong base, of a platform supported by and adapted to be turned upon the base and to advance and recede in turning, a slide block 11, moving in a transverse way in the base, pivotal connection between the center of the platform and the block 11, a block 6, normally lying along the front of the base and across the path of the block ll, and adapted to be pushed forward by thelatter as it advances and to support the platform as it turns, substantially as de scribed and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with an oblong base, of a platform supported by and adapted to be turned upon the base and to advance and re-` cede in turning, a slide block 1l, moving in a transverse way in the base, pivotal connection between the center of the platform and the block 11, a block 6, normally lying along the front of the base and across the path of the block 1l, and adapted to be pushed forward by the latter as it advances and to support the platform as it turns, the front end of the block 11, being normally spaced apart from the block 6, whereby the movement of the latter is less than the former, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

lx1-testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM D. SNYDER. Witnesses:

E. E. BARTHOLOMEW, W. C. CoRLIEs. 

